WESTERN QUÉBEC SCHOOL BOARD

Welcome Back Lord Aylmer Lynx

Good Afternoon L.A. Community,

We hope this email finds you all well and rested after a fabulous summer vacation!  We are getting closer and closer to another school year starting and we cannot wait to meet each and every one of you.

I would like to take this opportunity to virtually introduce myself.  My name is Samantha Halpin and I have the distinct honour and privilege to be your child’s school principal. My principalship started in 2015 where I worked at both Poltimore and Buckingham Elementary. Most recently, I have served as the principal of Eardley Elementary. Effective, July 11, 2023, I was appointed the principal of Lord Aylmer Elementary. Joining me on the administration team is Hannah Patrick as the Vice-Principal. We are beyond excited to start a new school year with your families!

Our philosophy of education is built on the foundation of the following: instructional leadership that fosters an environment of teacher learning, and the creation of a collaborative community within the school to impact student success. With that being said, a strong focus will be placed here at LA on the creation of a positive culture that impacts the mental health and well-being of everyone involved. We here at LA are a community committed to helping your child reach their individual potential; allowing your child to be the best version of their unique selves, all while fostering and maintaining their curiosity and hope. As Mr. Barack Obama so eloquently put it: “Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it. We choose hope over fear. We see the future not as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better through a concerted and collective effort.” Hannah and I look forward to embarking on your child’s educational journey together and committing collectively to working in the best interest of your child.

The L.A. team is eager to see our students’ smiling faces and are working hard to get everything organized for the first day of school.  We wanted to send a general communication, as we have received multiple inquiries on the first day of school, supply lists, daycare, and transportation. Please see below for important information.

Re-Opening Guide

  • Please find attached a re-opening guide chalk full of useful information as you embark on a new school year!

Suggested School Supply List

  • Please find attached the suggested School Supply Lists for the upcoming 23-24 school year. Please provide what you can; however, do not stress if you cannot get all of the items on the list.  We will help and support each and every child with supplementary materials if and when needed.

Lord Aylmer Calendar 2023-2024

  • Please find attached the L.A. Calendar.
  • First day of School is August 30th, 2022 for Cycle 1 to Cycle 3.
    • Please note that your child’s homeroom teacher will contact you by Tuesday, August 29, 2023 to discuss the first day details and outside meeting spot.
    • To make the first days of school a bit easier on everyone, we will allow parent(s)/guardian(s) to escort their child and stay in the school yard for the first 20 minutes of school. Each homeroom will be assigned a specific area in the back of our school yard. This information will be released when your child’s homeroom teacher contacts you. This way, you can meet your child’s teacher and say hello for a few minutes and then say goodbye to your child. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will not be allowed in the school.  We will be out in the yard at 7:40am.

Transportation Information –

  • For all new families and students: Please set up your Mozaik Portal Account. You will need your child’s permanent code, Karen Comfort has access to all of this information – please contact her at kcomfort@wqsb.qc.ca if you require additional support.  
  • The guide to set up your account is attached to this e-mail.  Please use the e-mail address that you have provided to the school in order to link your account.
  • The parent/guardian portal will be accessible until 9:00am on Thursday, Aug. 31st, 2023. This access point will allow you to retrieve your transportation information for your child(ren).

Communication @ L.A.

  • Please note that we will no longer be using the Remind App to communicate.
  • All communication will be done through email, our School Website, Facebook and TikTok – yes, we love to connect through a variety of multimedia.
  • Please note that all communication will be sent by email first and all emails/corresponding attachments will be uploaded to our social media platforms.
  • For all administrative inquiries, please contact both Sam Halpin and Hannah Patrick. Your administration will be working together as a team to support you and your child(ren).

School Fees 

  • These will be invoiced at a later date, details to follow.

Holiday

  • Reminder – Monday, September 4th  is a holiday, school and daycare are closed.

Daycare

  • The Daycare staff is excited to be working with your children this year, and Daycare is open on the first day of school. 
  • They are working hard to develop exciting programs this year. 
  • If you have any inquiries or need to contact the daycare, please call the school or email Julie Belisle at jbelisle@wqsb.qc.ca.  Julie will be sending important information specific to daycare soon.

Recess Equipment

  • The school will be accepting donations of recess equipment starting the first day of school.  This is to accommodate the various interests of our students and help to provide a dynamic and innovative play experience during recess.
  • Suggestions for donations: footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, hoola-hoops, chalk, Frisbees etc. If you have a donation, please drop the item(s) off at the front office.

Website 

Please feel free to contact the myself or Ms. Patrick should you have any questions, comments or concerns.   We want every child to have a positive and safe start to the school year. 

On behalf of the staff at Lord Aylmer Elementary, we are all looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday – we simply cannot wait.

Please enjoy the final day of summer vacation,

Sam Halpin & Hannah Patrick

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